Rise and Shine

"Rise and shine, Mindy-girl, it's time for school!"

Ugh, I hated the sound of my mom's voice early in the morning. She can be so damn cheery sometimes; I mean, does she ever get PMS or anything like that? I shuffled out of bed, into the bathroom and readied myself for school. Next, I walked into the kitchen, got a glass of juice out of the fridge. Right when I closed the door, Mom was standing there; I jumped.

"I didn't mean to scare you, but, I made pancakes this morning. They're on the table, if you want some."

Mom rarely cooks breakfast when Dad's travelling because I usually skip breakfast. Rather than remind her, I simply said, "Sure, I'll have some." I put the yogurt back and walked into the dining area. Whoa, she must have cooked enough to feed a small army! Who else was she planning to feed?

"Wow, that's a lot of pancakes, Mom!"

"Well, just eat what you can. Would you like some milk?"

"Yes, thank you." She poured each of us a glass.

"I read your book report on A Doll's House. You did a great job; you deserve an 'A' for it."

"Thanks." I slathered two pancakes with butter and poured maple syrup over them. As I was eating, I noticed Mom looking at me, all glassy eyed. Then I remembered: Dad hates pancakes.

"You know, I read that when I was your age. It's amazing how life sometimes imitates art. A woman gets tired of being belittled and taken for granted."

A feeling of fear came over me; I knew this day would come.

"Dad's not coming home, is he?"

She shook her head no.